Plaiting machine



Jan. 27, 1925.

. C. SCHOEPFER ETl AL FLAITING MAGHINE Fjned Sept. 9, 1922 4 sheets-she 2 -A. C. SCHOEF'FER ET AL PLAITING MACHINE Filed Sept. 9, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 nr.. .mhm m f ,MM ms ,www

Patented Jan. 27, 1925.

ALERED C. SCHOEPFE.ANI)IFRANK RJSGHOEPFE, OF .DE'IROIT`, IVIICHIGAN.

BLI-riiie Miiiciiiiiii.

Be it known.) that we7 ALERD C. Senosrrnii``` and ljinxniil., SoHoEinmcitizens of the United Stateiesiding at Detroit,` county ofv`l7tayiie, State of Michigan, haiie'inyented .a certain new and ii'sefiil Improif'enient in Plaiting Maehinesl-.and declare the following to a full, clear, .and

exact deseription'of the. same,such` as will` aiid one of the objects ofthe invention isv to provide a container into which the plaited fabric isfed, the fabric being Secured in the container in theplaitedform in which it may be ijeinovedfroin the,l machine and Steamed so that it will retain the Vplaited shape. One of the principai difticnlties experienced heretofore withflplaiting` machines, has been). that the ilaited fabric travels aronnd with the plaiting rolls and Y becomes ciig] it in the inachine object of this invention is to striplthe fabric froin'the rol'ls as. it is plaited and packv it in acasing so that there is no possibility of i-t becoining` caiight in thefmachine4 or ljiliiig lip in an niigainly shape. A further object the inveiition is toprovide a derice for guiding` the material into the plaitiiigr rolls and also forguiding material from the plaiting rolls into the container. Another'object of the inventilonK isl inV-olved in the constructionl of. the plaitlng rolls throiigh which the guide members -e'itend .and in the mechani-sm' .forsecuring the contaiiiensto the niachine. rIfhese. objects and the several noyel features of the. inVentionare hereinafter more fullyl described and claimed, and

the pi'eferred formof construction which these-objects arefattainedis. shown in the acceinpanying drawings vin which-- Fig. l is a plan view of aplaiting. machine enibodying our invention.

Fig. 20:l is. a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3` is a section taken on line 3-3 of Fie 1- ,her Lt; shown i thereof which is adapted to and the main Figzfijis a section taken on line 4-4 of 1' li l. y

Iig. o is Chine taken Fig.

a `viewof one end of the mafrom line .5-5` of Fig. 1. 6 is a section taken on line 6 6l` of lfig-.d to show-the frame construction.

Fig. 7 is a section taken on line 7-T of Figz to show the frame construction.

Fig. 8 is a section taken on line 8-8 of Fig. l. V

Fig. 94 is a plan View of the retaining bar.

As shown inoFigs. 1 and 2, a metal base l is providedv for the device and a pair of uprights 2, shown morepai'ticnlarly in Fig. 5, are secnred totlie bed 1 by the bolts 3. An imerted U shaped cross member at is riVeted-to the prights 2 below the ends thereof and proii'des a support for a casing' or container 5. This .casing 5, as shown in'Fig. 1, is supported at the forward end Von frame members 6`shown more particularlyinylfig' and having a cross member 7 ri-Veted theret-o similar Vto the cross meniin Fig. 5. The casing 5 is provided vat the` forward end with a, strip 8 welded or, otherwise secnred to the bottom engagethe cross member 7 of the frame member 6. Secured to the crossviiiembe'r li of'the frame members 2 is ak bracket asshown in Figs. 1, 2 and which extendsoiitwardly as shown in` Fig. 2 and is provided with adependng end 10.

.A member 11 shown inlfi'gs. 2 and 5 is bolted to the depending end and a screw shaft 12 is Vthreaded through the upper end thereof, the said; screw with the crank 13:v` for rotating the same.

VlVithy this constif'iiction, by rotating` the crank 13, 4the screw shaft 12 inoves the casiiig 5 forward so that the engagtes the frame member thecasing 5 in place. An inverted U .ishaped bra-ck'et 14: shown in Fig. 32; is Secured to the bed 1 by the bolts'lh and a bearing` block `16 is. Secured in the member` 14 by the machine screws 17. This beariiig block carries a bearing 18 for the lower plaiting roll 19 shown iiiore particiilarl),7 in Fig. 8. Byl this coiistrn'ction'the bearing forA` the lower plaiting` roll is rigidly held in posi. tion. AV bearing block 20 is provided for the npper plaiting roll 21Y having a machine screwQ in each side thereof `which is inovable in a slot 9.3 shown more particularly T thus holding in'Fig. 3,and a screw 24: is threaded through shaft being proyided strip 8 tightly` the upper end of the bracket 14 and is held in place in the upper end of the bear-ing block by a pair of pins riding in an annular groove 26 provided in the lower end of the screw shaft 24. By threading the screw shaft through the bracket 14 the bearing block 20 may be raised or lowered in the bracket 14 and a lock nut 27 is provided for securing the screw shaft 24 at any adjustment. The plaiting rolls 19 and 21, as shown in Fig. 3, are provided with four toothed portionsV having annular grooves 28 therebetween extending slightlyV below the base of the teeth as shown in Fig. 8. Each roll 19 and ,21 is provided with an extending shaft end 29 and a gear 30 is Secured to each shaft end with the teeth thereof in mesh. The plaitine roll 21 is provided at the opposite end wii an extending shaft end 31 rotatably mounted in the bearing block 20 and a crank 32 is inserted through an aperture provided tlierefor in the end 31 as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 which is Secured in place by a set screw By turning the crank 32 the roll 21 is rotated and, dueto the gears 30 meshing at the end of the roll, the roll 19 is rotated .in a direction opposite to the rotation of the roll 21. lVhile I have shown a crank for rotating the rolls it will be readily understood that the end 31 may be adapted to receive a pulley so that the device may be driven by power if desired.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 6, an inverted U shaped frame member 34 is provided which is Secured to the bed 1 by machine screws 35 shown more particularly in Fig. 2,

and a cross member 36 is Secured to theb frame member 34 by machine screws 37. At the forward end of the bed 1 is a sheet metal guide member 38 which forms a guide for the strip of fabric or leather 39, the member 38 being provided with flanges 40 at the side as shown more particularly in Fig. 6v

to feed the fabric straight into the roll. This sheet metal member 38 is Secured to the cross member 36 by the screws 41 and, as shown in Fig. 8, three fingers or guide members 42 are formed integrally with the member 38 and eXtend through the openings provided by the annular grooves 28 of the plaiting rolls as shown in Fig. 3, the ends of the said members 42 being Secured to the cross member 7 by the screws 43 as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, and the portions 44 of the members 42 extending into notches provided in the lower Side of the casing 5. The member 38 and fingers 42 form a1 guide for the lower side of the fabric or leather when passing through the rolls and a sheet metal member 48 is Secured to the under side of the U shaped member 34 by the screws 46. This member 48 is also provided with three fingers or guide members 47 as shown in Figs, 1, 2, 3 and 8 which extend through Kpossible for the material to become piled up and tangled or to come unfolded.

The casing 5 is provided with a pair of apertures 49 in the upper face thereof through which the plaited material can be Seen as it passes into the casing and a. Strip of metal 50 shown in Figs. 2 and 4, is po- Sitioned in the casing 5, and the casing 5 is provided as shown in Fig. 1, with a slot 51 through which a guide member 52 extendsv and a clamping member 53 is positioned over the guide member 52, as shown in Fig` 4, and a screw shaf-t 54 extends through apertures provided in the members 52 and 53 and is threaded into the member 50, the

screw sha-ft 54 being provided with a knurled knob 55 which may be turned toy .clamp the casing 5 at the edges of the slotl 51 between the member 50 and edges of the clamp member 53. By this arrangoment the member 50 may be Secured Hin position at any point in the casing and, if desired, may be moved backwardly by hand as the casing 5 is filled with the plaited material.

In Operation the casing 5, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is positioned on the cross members 4 and 7 with the open end toward the plaiting rolls. At this time the crank 13 is rotated to force the casing 5 forward so that the strip 8 on the lower side thereof engages the cross member 7 of -the uprights 6 thus securing the casing 5 in position and, by means of the knurled knoh 55, the strip- 50 is Secured in the desired position in the casing. At this time the Strip 39 of fabric, imitation loather or the like is fed from a bolt or roll over the member 38 and through the plaiting rolls 19 and 21 as shown in Fig. 2. VVhen this has been done Zthe crank 32 is rotated by hand which plaits the material due to the peeuliar'shape of the teeth of the plaiting rolls and feeds the plaited material into the casing 5. VVhen the casing 5 is filled with the plaited material a` wooden Strip 56, as shown in Fig. 9, is inserted in the end of the casing, the apertures 57 of the wooden Strip register-ing with the apertures 58 of the casing 5 as shown in Fig. 1 and pins are inserted through the apertures 58 and 57 to secure the block in place, the said Strip 56 forming a retaining block and holding the material in the casing in the plaited form. By rotatin g the crank 13 to withdraw the screw shaft 12, the casing 5 with the plaited material therein may be removed from the machine and may be steamed so that the plaited material will retain the folds. Several casings 5 are provided for each machine so that while one casing With the plaited material -therein is being' steamed another casing 5 may be secured in the machine and may be filled with plaited material.

From the foregoing description it becomes evident that the device is very simple and eiicient in Operation, Will not easily get out of order, is composed of comparatively few parts and is of consequent low manufacturing cost and provides a device which accomplishes the objects described.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim isl. In a plaiting' machine, a framework, a pair of plaiting rolls rotatably mounted in the framework and provided with a series of longitudinal teeth adapted to intermesh, the ro-lls being provided with a series: of spaced annular grooves in registration providing a series of openings between the rolls, guide members extending through the openings between the rolls and between which the material is fed to the rolls, spaced braokets mounted on the framework to the rear of the plaiting rolls, a casing rectangular in cross section supported in the said brackets having an open forward end notched in. the upper and lower Sides to receive the guide members, releasable means for maintaining the casing in position and permitting removal of the casing, and a feed'table for introducing the material to the rolls having longitudinal side flanges providing guides for the material.

2. In a plaiting machine, a framework, a pair of plaiting rolls rotatably mounted in the framework provided with a series of longitudinal teeth adapted to intermesh, means for rotating the rolls, the rolls being provided with a series of spaced annular grooves: in registration providing a series of openings between the rolls, a series of guide members extending through the openings between the rolls and between which the material is fed to the rolls, a casing rec-1 tangular in cross section having an openforward end removably mounted in the machine to receive the plaited material as it passes from the guide members, a screw engaging the rear end of the casing for holding the casing in position and permitting the casing to be removed from the machine, a follower member in the casing against which the plaited material is pressed as it passes into the casing, the said casing having the upper side thereof provided with a slot, the screw device extending into the slot for binding the follower in place, the slot permitting the follower to be moved by hand as the casing is filled.

3. In a plaiting machine, a framework, a pair of plaiting rolls rotatablT mounted therein having a series of longitudinal teeth adapted to intermesh, the rolls each having a series of circumferential grooves in registration providing openings between the rolls, upper and lower guide members positioned between the rolls of a distance apart equal to the width of the plaits to be formed by the teeth, a feed table forward of the rolls having side fianges providing guides for maitaining the material in correct position as it feeds to the rolls, a sheet meta-i casing of rectangular form in cross section mountedto the rear of the rolls and notched to receive the ends of the guide members, a screw device for maintaining the receiver in position against the pressure applied thereto in the forcing of the plaited material into the casing, the upper side of the receiver casing having a longitudinal slot, a) follower member in the casing, a screw device in the follower extending through the slot and by means of which the follower may be bindingly Secured in any desired position longitudinally of the casing, the forward edge of the casing havlngapertures, and a retainer block adapted to be inserted in the end of the casing when filled, and pins extending through said apertures for securing the retainei' block in the casing.

In testimony whereof, we sign this specification.

ALFRED O. SCHOEPFER. FRANK R. SCHOEPFER.

(i (il 

